by their useful difcoveries, adorned it by their works of genius, or benefited mankind by their examples. With what pleafure do we felect a Boyle, a Newton, an Addison, a Locke, a Radcliffe, a Howard, and a Hanway, from the multitudes that surround them, and make particular inquiries into their characters and conduct! To contemplate fuch men, not inflamed by vain ambition, or courting popularity, but giving dignity to the walks of private life by the efforts of genius, and the exertions of philanthropy, is a high gratification to the mind, and increafes its love of thofe actions which come within the reach of general imitation.

"To find that great lengths have actually been gone in learning and virtue, that high degrees of perfection have actually been attained by men like ourfelves, intangled among the infirmities, the temptations, the oppofition from wicked men, and the other various evils of life; how does this fhow ús to ourselves as utterly inexcufable, if we do not endeavour to reach the heights we know have been gained by others of our fellow-creatures? Biography fets before us the whole character of a perfon, who has made himself eminent either by his virtues or his vices; fhews us how he came first to take a right or a wrong turn, the profpects which invited him to afpire to higher degrees of glory, or the delufions which mifled him from his virtue and his peace; the circumstances which raised him to true greatness, or the rocks on which he split, and funk to infamy. And how can we more effectually, or in a more entertaining manner, learn the important leffon, what what we ought to purfue, and what to avoid ?" Burgh's Dignity of Human Nature, p. 167.

"It is a thing to be wifhed, that every one would study the life of fome great man distinguished by employs, to which himself may be destined by Providence." Du Frefnoy, tom. i. p. 43.

d

VOL. I.

Q

Νο

No fpecies of writing gives a more perfect infight into the minds of men, than their Letters. In the letters of perfons of distinction, we expect the juftnefs of obfervation, which belongs to hiftory, and the ease and good humour of elegant converfation. They place, us in the fituation of their correfpondents, and we feem honoured by the confidence of the great and good, the witty and the gay of various ages and countries. They inform us what they thought in their retired moments, when, withdrawn from the buftle of the world, they gave free fcope to their unreftrained opinions, and poured them without referve into the bofoms of their friends. We may remark the immediate effects produced by good or bad fortune, and may catch the spirit of their virtues immediately from themselves. Here wit, humour, and genius, have indulged their natural fallies, and adorned the common occurrences of life in the moft pleafing drefs. Among the numerous inftances, which might be felected of epiftolary excellence, we diftinguish the letters of Cicero, which give an infight into the eminent characters of his eventful times. Pliny, in Epiftles remarkable for neatnefs and precifion, expreffes the dietates af a cultivated and generous mind. If we turn our attention to our own country, we fhall find that the piety and the affection of Lady Ruffel, the quaintnefs and pleasantry of Howel, the manlinefs and political fagacity of Strafford, the philofophical exactnefs and cool judgment of Locke,

the

the fimplicity of Bishop Rundle, the moralifing vein of Johnson, the taste and elegance of Gray, the ease of Cowper, and the sprightliness of Lady Wortley Montague, mark their refpective letters with originality, and gives us the moft pleafing pictures of their minds. We naturally wish to know all we can of fuch perfons, and feel an increafing intereft in their other productions; for we prize those writers the moft, who combine the charms of entertainment and pleasure with the leffons of inftruction.

There are other inftances, by which the ftudy of hiftory may be promoted in an agreeable manner, and the events which it records may be illuftrated. Coins and medals, infcriptions, gems, and statues, thew us the progrefs of ancient arts, and afcertain many curious particulars refpecting characters, inftruments, buildings, and ceremonies. Coins and medals indeed are particularly ferviceable in that respect. The reprefentation of fo many events is delineated upon them, that they illuftrate feveral paffages in ancient writers, and confirm doubtful facts. Sometimes they are not only the affiftants but the fubstitutes of hiftory. Gibbon remarks that if all the hiftorians of that period were loft, medals, infcriptions, and other monuments, would be fufficient to record the travels of the emperor Hadrian. Coins are to general hiftory, what miniatures aré

The comparative Ufe of Medals and Infcriptions by the learned Scipio Maffei may be found in Du Fresnoy's new Method of studying History, vol. i. p. 241. 323, &c.

to historical pictures; and when arranged in exact order, they form a chronological abstract of a picturesque and lively kind.

But the Laws of a country are more intimately connected with its history, and indeed, more accurately fpeaking, conftitute an effential part of it. They fhow the genius of a people, illuftrate their manners, and enable us to trace their progrefs from rude independence to due regular order and government. The hiftorians of antiquity, indeed, taking it for granted that the laws of their refpective countries would be as well known to others as to themselves, have not paid fufficient attention to this fubject. From the turbulent fcenes of public affairs, from battles and the conflicts of contending factions, we can derive little knowledge of the internal ftate of manners and cuftoms. An acquaintance with jurifprudence is calculated to fupply this information; and even from the ancient laws, extremely concife as they are, we may infer with a great degree of probability, what the ftate of the country was, in any particular respect, when a new law was enacted. The remedy recommended, points out the nature of the difeafe. For inftance, the encroachments of luxury in Rome, may be marked by the Oppian law, which prohibited the Roman ladies from wearing ornaments to their drefs,, which exceeded the value of an ounce of gold; and by a decree of the Senate obtained by Cornelius, which limited to a particular fum the expence of funerals.

II. The

II. The Advantages of a Knowledge of Hiftory.

If we confider the knowledge of hiftory with regard to its application, we fhall find that it is eminently ufeful to us in three refpects, viz. as it appears in a moral, a political, and a religious point of view.

In a moral point of view, it is beneficial to mankind at large, as a guide to their conduct. In a political-as it fuggefts ufeful expedients to thofe who exercife the public offices of the state, whether they are kings, minifters, or magiftrates; or as it enables us to form, by comparifon with those who have gone before them, a just estimate of their merits. In a religious--as it teaches us to regard the Supreme Being as the governor of the univerfe, and the fovereign difpofer of all

events.

The faculties of the foul are improved by exercife; and nothing is more proper to enlarge, to quicken, and to refine them, than a furvey of the conduct of mankind. Hiftory fupplies us with a detail of facts, and fubmits them to our examination before we are called into active life. By obfervation and reflection upon others we begin an early acquaintance with human nature, extend our views of the moral world, and are enabled to acquire fuch a habit of difcernment, and correct